NewsWest 9
ODESSA - Healthcare reform talks once again front and center in the Permian Basin.
Congressman Mike Conaway made his second stop in the Basin to talk with a standing room only crowd in Odessa.
"The bill is trash and it needs to be thrown in the trash. We are the United States of America why would we want to implement socialized healthcare?" Odessa T.E.A. Party President, Elizabeth Wooldridge, said.
Wooldridge was just one of many vocal residents at the town hall meeting in Odessa.
"Anytime we have someone like Pelosi try to shut us up that just makes us want to try even harder and we have 100 more people join us," another person in the meeting said.
Congressman Mike Conaway, staunchly opposing the Halthcare bill.
"I don't think anyway I could vote for it. I would like to start over, but I do think the conversations we have had in July and August will lay the groundwork for reform on a much smaller scale."
Others in attendance were in favor of President Obama's proposed healthcare bill.
"I would vote for it. The president has outlined his position and he has a personal story to it. I think it has some great points that I just love like getting rid of pre-exiting conditions," Tim Ruple said.
NewsWest 9 talked with a physician at Odessa Regional Medical Center who explained healthcare does need reform, but not a complete overhaul.
"If we just address it change by change not everything so fast. I have been in medicine 35 years and I know how it works in England. I think we still have the best here. If my brother had a heart attack, I wouldn't take him to France, I would take him here," Dr. Jay Naidu said.
